How to Deal With Conflict Effectively

Learn to thrive in difficult situations by mastering your feelings, thoughts, and behavior

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Over the years, I’ve helped people improve the way they handle conflict, and I’ve learned a lot about conflict.

As a therapist, I helped young people deal with underlying issues with anxiety and anger that led to problems interacting with others.

In my job defending students who are undergoing investigation for cheating or malpractice. This often means dealing with conflict on their behalf—as an adult, I’ve found myself transported back to the Mr. Jones’s office many times. The fact that it’s not me that’s punched anyone in the nose doesn’t make it much easier.

Personally, I’ve never embraced confrontation. Truth be told, I find conflict difficult. But I’ve found ways to overcome my difficulties.

Here’s how you can apply what I’ve learned from my work and from my own struggles with conflict management. I’ve broken it down into three elements: